The Impulse
by ChaosHasCome
Summary: Rose always knew her best friend would be Scorpius Malfoy. It always seemed obvious to her. But when fate deals Rose a hand of emotions she is not prepared to handle, Rose will find out she didn't quite know as much as she thought.


**This little stand alone one shot was written for Mikki105's HP contest on her forum. Definitely go check the place out. It's pretty neat. **

**Prompt: the accidental kiss **

**Pairing: Rose Weasley/Scorpius Malfoy**

I always knew Scorp and I would be best friends. I suspected it when daddy told me not to get "too friendly" with the little blond Malfoy boy. I assumed we would be friends when that deep curiosity I'd always had as a child took root in the pit of my stomach and refused to let go. And I confirmed it when Scorpius was sorted into Gryffindor, and the scared young boy cried on my shoulder, afraid of what his father would say.

That first year at Hogwarts, Scorp and I clung to each other like glue. Everything was new and we stuck by each other purely for survival. It was much to my older cousin James' displeasure when he realized the platonic bond that was rapidly forming between Scorpius Malfoy and I. More than once, Scorp was threatened with hexes by my older, larger extended family.

The threats eventually petered out around the middle of our second year. Scorpius spent Christmas vacation with my family and I, as his father had not been so understanding of our friendship as my mother had been.

Through the next two years, Scorpius grew to be part of the family. He was Uncle George's blond guinea pig, though not unwillingly. Aunt Ginny quickly grew fond of him, followed by my mother, Aunt Angelina, and Aunt Audrey. Scorpius and I were inseparable at the worst of times. Only our stubborn fathers could not accept the reality of the bond Scorp and I shared.

As fourth year passed and fifth year flew by, Scorpius and I both started dating. In this area, Scorp and I could not have been more different. I was never one for a committed relationship, preferring short flings or perhaps a snog or two in various broom closets. Scorpius, on the other hand, always felt too passionately, quick to fall in and out of what he claimed was 'love.' He complained often that I felt too little for the people that I 'dated' and though I was sorely tempted, I never mentioned that I wasn't the one constantly heartbroken.

The end of sixth year was a little rough. For years, my feelings for Scorp had been completely platonic with no desire for anything other than brotherly companionship. But I began to feel something more when I was around my best friend. The stormy gray of his eyes would set off unfamiliar butterflies in my stomach and I felt waves of desire course through my body when I thought of him. I longed for the lengthy conversations we had, hung off of his every word. These strange emotions caught me off guard, something I was not familiar with, and I was severely unprepared to handle it.

The problems started when I picked up a different guy every night, and unable to keep from thinking of Scorpius every time I looked at them, both of us left feeling sorely frustrated, though for very different reasons. That was when I decided that the best way to escape these bizarre emotions was to run away from them and from their direct source. Scorpius.

He didn't understand of course, but who could've expected him to? One moment, we're best friends and the next, I'm avoiding him like the plague. I'm sure it was terribly confusing. We parted without saying goodbye at the end of term, though not for lack of trying on Scorp's part. It took several unopened letters from Scorpius, and more than a little thought on my part to realize just how badly I had screwed up. But more importantly, I had figured out why I had run away from my problems to begin with.

I was scared.

To put it simply, I was afraid of feeling romantically attracted to a boy for more than just their reputation as a great snog. I was more than scared, I was terrified. Terrified of commitment and all the implications that went with it.

I was terrified to screw up the best thing that I had in life. My friendship with Scorp.

So after several failed attempts at explaining myself to him in a letter, I found the words in three simple sentences.

_I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I was being stupid. _

And just like that, we were back on track. Of course, I still got the fluttering in my stomach when I was around him and I longed for his companionship constantly. But I learned to quash those feelings. There was too much on the line for me to risk any sort of relationship. I didn't even know if I was wired correctly to handle such a foreign concept. To be frank, the words _long-term relationship_ made me wrinkle my nose in repulsiveness. Though applying those words to Scorpius made them that much less revolting.

So coming back to my original point, I had known from the beginning that we would be friends. But it wasn't until today that I dared ever hoped for more.

Seventh year had started with a bang as Scorpius and I were elected to the positions of Head Boy and Girl. It meant that I got to spend more time than ever with my best friend. Which was both a blessing and a curse. My feelings for Scorp were stronger than they had ever been, but I had become more skilled at hiding my rising emotions concerning him.

We were planning the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. That was when it happened. Scorp and I were sitting next to each other, heads close together as we planned out the best dates and times. When we had decided upon an appropriate date, Scorp stretched out in his chair. Glancing at me out of the corner of his eye, he casually mentioned his plans to ask Lily to Hogsmeade.

My heart literally froze in my chest. I couldn't comprehend whether he was serious or if he was joking. For my own sanity, I hoped that he was kidding.

Scorpius knew of the secret envy I harbored of my younger cousin. Her hair was more vibrant than mine, softer than mine, straighter than mine. Her eyes an exotic shade of green that put my muddy colored eyes to shame. She was skinnier than me, prettier than me, more social than me. She was absolutely everything that I wasn't.

But I knew, when I looked into those gray eyes, that Scorp was being completely serious. There was no hint of hidden amusement in his eyes or mouth. In that one moment, I did two things simultaneously. My heart shattered into five million tiny shards and my body reached out to cling to the one thing I had ever truly wanted in my life. Scorpius.

It was completely unplanned. A beautiful accident. The moment my lips collided with his, it was magic. Not the sort of magic that involved waving a wand, or pronouncing a spell the correct way. It was the sort of magic that spread out across your skin and lit your insides on fire as tight coils of warmth unwound themselves and pulsed through your veins.

My fingers wound their way into his soft, golden hair. I could feel his hesitation, which had followed after a momentary pause of surprise. But as I pushed harder against his lips, I could feel his reluctance melt away. The kiss was chaste and sweet. It was passionate and slow. It was everything I had expected and more from Scorpius Malfoy.

As I pulled away sheepishly, my face as red as my hair, I looked down at my hands. I had removed them from his hair and folded them nervously in my lap. It was silent for a long time. My heart beat fast, each tiny, shattered piece pulsing. I glanced up nervously through my bangs. I hadn't noticed until now how badly they needed to be trimmed.

Through the auburn fringe, I saw perhaps the most beautiful sight of my life. Scorpius Malfoy, my best friend, my Scorp, was staring at me with that adorably white grin of his, showing off the endearing dimples in his cheeks.

But perhaps the best thing that has ever happened to me was best summed up in Scorp's next five words.

"Go to Hogsmeade with me?"

**A/N The ending allows the reader some creative liberty to do what they will with Scorpius and Rose. This was where the ending naturally fell and it just felt right to leave it that way. **


End file.
